£200 million Grangemouth funding boost

Trade unions say £200 million of UK Government investment into Grangemouth is "welcome".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made the announcement yesterday:

The refinery is closing this year, with more than 400 people being made redundant.

Sir Keir Starmer told the Scottish Labour conference those affected will receive 18 months full pay.

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said:

"The Prime Minister’s announcement that £200 million will be allocated from the National Wealth Fund to support the workers and community of Grangemouth cannot be dismissed lightly. However, this funding will only have a transformative impact if used correctly and is accompanied by even further investment from both governments.

“Ultimately, the announcement still neglects the clear plan set forward by Unite, which secures the jobs and the futures of the workforce in the here and now. This must be the priority from all governments, not retrospective action that assumes the closure of the site is inevitable.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is welcome news after months of our campaign and supported by the community of Grangemouth, Keir Starmer and the UK government have finally listened. This needs to be the start not the end in delivering a real workers' transition for Grangemouth.'

“Following this announcement, it is essential that all stakeholders come together to put the meat on the bones and that this investment counts for jobs and our security. Clear timescales will be important as well as details on jobs.”

"We'll continue to work with Unite the Union, the workers and their communities to provide a hopeful future that provides secure jobs and employment for all those impacted by the closure which, even at this stage, can be avoided."

First Minister John Swinney said:

“I welcome this response from the Prime Minister to my call earlier this week for the UK Government to provide its fair share of support for Grangemouth. It is a step in the right direction and this funding must be made available immediately.

“On Tuesday I announced that the Scottish Government is providing £25 million to enable businesses to bring forward investable propositions for Grangemouth.

“Everyone working at Grangemouth’s refinery is a valued employee with skills that are key to Scotland’s net zero future. We will continue to work constructively with the UK Government to secure the site’s future.”